Machine for laying foundations of structures



June 10, 1930. o. STERN 1,763,485

MACHINEFOR LAYING FOUNDATIONS OF STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 1'7 1926 SSheets-Shet l JunelO, 1930. o. STERN ,7 4

MACHINE FOR LAYING FOUNDATIONS OF STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 17 1926 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 1a.! 4 "'07!!! a 4 n June- 10, 1930.

Filed Dec. 17 1926 O. STERN MACHINE FOR LAYING FOUNDATIONS F STRUCTURES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l I i 1 I v I i ---:l0 I I I l I I 1 I l I r 16 O i l W I I 60 l 11 If 53 5 5 I I, h 1 I| V xx s a"; I i 1 5 I {'60 k 14 60 K 3.5 z Q L..- g n 6. I KI-r :1 3 1 ,55a 1' 8 Hi 5 I .4 62 s 5 o I 37 15 i i 57 l I 36 16 0 I 12 s i 7 II Nap Tr, r: I" zng Z L J. a: r I o 6 1 q:

31 A a V f, 67

'1 Z7 Invenior' 0. Siern Patented June 10, 1930 Filth?!" OTTOKAR STERN, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA MACHINE FOR LAYING FOUNDATIONS OF STRUCTURES Application filed December, 1926. Serial No. 155,525.

This invention relates to an improved method of and machine for making concrete piles to serve as foundations of buildings and the like. The main object of the invention is to. provide an improved machine of the kind inwhich the pile is formed with the aidoi a tube having at. its lower end a shoe-member adapted to be driven into the ground by the action-of a rain on the; tube, said shoe being hereinafter termed the.c riving member or, since it isusuaily of conical form, the driving cone? W ith such an arrangement, after the tube has been. inserted, concreto is introduced through the tube and tamped during removal thereof.

According to the main feature of my invention, I provide a machine in which the tube mentioned is used as a guide for a rain operating therein, said tube, hereinafter termed guide tube having the driving member attached thereto being suspended from a yoke-bracket adjustably arranged in vertical posts mounted on the carriage ofthe machine, the arrangement beingsuch that the guide tube may be positioned to enable vertical or inclinedpiles to be formed. Apart from this main feature further detail constructional features, the invention includes an improved method of sate-guarding the walls of apitholo against collapseby means of the improved machine according to. which the driving n' ember isgiven short periodical up and down movements; compr ssed at the same time being preferably utilized, to force concrete from the tube and feed it into the space between the driving member and the walls oi the pithole.

One mode oi carryingwout the present invention is illustrated by way of example on the accompanying Which Fi l is aside view, and

2a back view of the arrangement according to the present-invention Fig. 8 is a planviewof a detail of the hoistingmeans shown in Figs. land 2;

Eigfil is-a longitudinal sectional detail of he driving cone;

Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional detail of the ram on iine7 -7' of Fig. 7;

sheets of drawings in 6 is, anenlarged sectional detail of the ram control head taken on line 6,-6 of Fig. 5 and on line 77 of Fig. 7

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the control head of the ram; 7

i Fig; 8 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional detail of the upper end of the uppersection of the driving cone, and

Fig. 9 is aside elevation of the machine raised on the driven pile.

The frame of the machine consists of a platform 2 in which are mounted wheels 1, which are freely rotatable about their. shafts, passingthrough the platform. Twoposts 3 are disposed near the forward endof the plat form 2, so that the foundation members can be produced as near as possible towalls, pithoies or the like. Rails-4t extend along the entire height of the posts 3 and formguides for pins-5, which are provided on-the yokebracket 6.. The driving member and. guide tube are suspendedfrom the yoke-bracket. A clampingring 7 is. disposednear. the-base of the posts 2. The driving member including its associated tubing: is guidedin the said clamping. ring. andmay. be clamped and secured at anydesired height. A bridging member. 9,, connecting the. top ends of the posts 3, is provided with pulleys8,,over which pass ropes 10, carrying the driving. member. As. more particularly shown in Big. hthe driving member or pile consists ota driving cone. 27' and a guide-tube 28,..wh ich. is suspended irom the yoke-bracket 6. means of grapples. ll., The rods connecting themdividualparts of the driving membenare in the form of a tube; The driving cone27 is. connected with the freely dropping guidetube 28by means of atubular sleeve29, the said guide rtube being,yieldingly moved down by the spring 30, in case the same lagsbehind. Incase of pulling as guide-tube the spring;30 is:moved upward by co-operation with acollar 31,.secured to. therbottom end of the guidestube. The bottom end of the driving member 27 is furnished with a protecting cup 32,1-whichiorms a rest or stop for the freely dropping tubuian rod-and for thepointedend 3d. i

A ring shaped member ,provided with the upper edge of the guide tube and this bracket is fitted with pivoted grapples 11 which areadapted to engage the lower end of the said ring-shaped member. A strengthening ring 36 provided with a striking block or ring 37 for the ram is also secured to the inner surface of the guide tube at a point heneath the ring i By means of a control-head 40, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the operation of the ram, hereinafter described, can be reversed in'su ch a manner,

.that the same can be used not only for ramming but also for pulling. The ram consists of a ram-cylinder 58, Fig. 5, which isprovided with an upper cover 59 and is adapted to move up and down on the piston rod formed by the concentric tubes 60 and 61' to which a piston 62' is secured. The hollow annular space63 between the tubes 60 and 61 spring is sealed and a control slide 45 and 65' in the compartment 44 are positioned therewithin. The control head which seals thespace 63 at its upper end is provided with a pipe 64, which is connected to the supply of controlling fluid, for example compressed air. The tube 61, on which theparts numbered to 65 are assembled, is mounted on the tube 33. A V

In operation, the compressed air passes through the pipe 64, into the control head 40 and the space 63'. The control slide is forced down, the spring 65 being compressed, until the port 66, provided in the outer tube is uncovered, thereby permitting the compressed air to pass into the upper part of the cylinder 58. In consequence the cylinder is lifted and towards the end of its stroke its cover 59 is caused to contact with the lower end of a control rod 46 (Fig. 6) thereby compressing the spring 47, and lifting a flange 49 and the piston valve 42 attached to said flange 49. The operation of the piston valve 42 effects communication between the supply of control air' and the spring compartment 44 through the intermediary of the conduit 69. The pressure due to thecontrol air'on each side of the control slide 45 is thereby equalized and the slide 45 rises by reason 'of the spring The space above. the pistonis thus opened to exhaust through ports 66, 67 and 68, allowing the ram cylinder to drop freely to effect a striking blow on the drivingmem her. The control slideduring this operation is substantially in the position shown in Fig. 5. To prevent a reversal of the movement of the ram cylinder 58' during its free fall a piston or plunger 50 of a an oil-brake 51 is secured to the flange 49 and consequently is also raised when the valve 42 is operated.

Thus oil may pass in by way of a non-return valve 52 from an oil reservoir.

The downward movement of the controlpiston 42 can be regulated by the oil-brake by means of adjusting the control-pin 55 which is mounted'in a sleeve 55 and is subjected to the action of a spring 55*. The sleeve 55 is provided with a screw-thread 55, so that the force of the spring can be regulated by flange 49. Already at the beginning of the drop, on release of thecontrol pin compressed air enter through 63' into'the top of the cylinder, so that the ram is caught by an aircushion and does not strike on its downward movement. However the ram is raised to such a height that, in consequence of its kinetic energy and in spite of the reversal, the ram strikes against the striking-ring 37 of the guide-tube 28 and thus effects a pulling operation. It is not necessary to arrange a discharge valve in the ram-piston, because during the reversal the control-air escapes from the control-cylinder 41 of the control-head 40.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the pulling device consists of a compressed air cylinder 12, which is mounted in the platform 2. Two ropes, namely, a double rope and a single rope are attached to the vertical piston-rod 13 of the cylinder 12 the double rope passing to the driving pullev 14' of a winch 14, and the other or single rope leading to the driving pulley 15 ofa winch 15 to which pulleys the respective ropes are secured. The shafts of the driving pulleys of both winches are located in sheet metal Walls of the connecting struts 16, strengthening one of the posts 3, and are arranged on opposite sides of the compressed air cylinder and at different heights as shown. The driving pulleys 14 and 15 are mounted so as to be freely rotatable on their shafts and are fitted with counter weights 58, 59. Rope drums 17 and a brake drum 18 provided with a brake band 64 are keyed to the shaft of the winch 14. The driving pulley 14 of the winch 14 may be coupled with the rope-drums 17 by means of a coupling (not shown) of suitable Width. The ropes 10 hereinbefore referredto are carried by said drums 17 The driving pulley 15 of the winch'15 (Fig. 3) may be coupled with the shaft of said winch by means of a claw-coupling 19. Keyed to the said shaft, are a rope drum 20 for the crane-rope 63 (Fig. 1), the disengaging disc of the claw-coupling 19 (Fig. 3), the ratchet-wheel 21 for the return movement and the drum 22 of a band I:

mes es brake. A second rope-drum 23 is mounted so as to befreely rotatable on the shaft and in case of requirement is coupled with the brake drum 22, keyed to the shalt, by means of a pin 24%. In consequence of their location with respect to the compressed air cylinder 12 (Fig. 2), the driving pulleys 1d and 15 rotate in opposite directions when operated therefrom, and therefore the ropes 10 are wound up on therope-drums 17 of thewinch 1 in an anti-clockwise direction and the ropes 62 on the rope-drums 20 and 23 of the winch 15 in the clockwise direction.

A crane 26 is pivotally secured to the inner frame-posts. The rope 63 of the crane iswhen required detachably connected to the rope 62, secured to the drum 20 of the winch 15, by means of a clamp of suitable construction. When the crane is not in use said rope 62, as shown adapted to be connected to the yoke 6. Another rope, carrying a weight 58, is attached to the drum 23 and may thenbe used toobtain a balanced pull on said yoke.

The top end of the tubular rod 83 of the drivingmember or pile 27 is closed by a clo ing member, for instance a cock or slide valve 56, which controls the cross-sectional area of the former. The tubular rod, closed by the closing member, can be subjected. to pressure by supplying the pressure medium through a connecting member 65, and a pressure pipe 66.

The machine operates in the following manner:--

In order to facilitate the conveyai'ice of the machine to the working place the frame is supported on wheels. In order to lit't the frame from the ground, the driving cone or pile 2? 9) is rammed into the ground by operating the compressed air ram 61. Now the ropes 62 of the winch 15 are secured to the yoke-bracket 6, by means of a cable clamp 6 the pins 2d are inserted whereby the rope-drum 23 is coupled with the brake-pulley 22 and after disengaging the winch 14, the winch 15 is set into operation. l/l nen comressed air is aomitted into the press ire cylinder 12 underneath the piston,*the latter is driven into its topmost position. Thereby the ropes, attached to the piston-rod and sed to the driving-pulleys i l mall-5, are. u. and wound up automatically on the driving pulleys, as the same are subjected to action oi? counter-Wenits 58 and 59, which rotate the same on relaii the ropes. When new the compressed air valve underneath the piston of the pressure cylinder 12 shut and the compresses air valve at the ton of said cylinder is opened, the piston is I iced. downthe driving pulleys 1d and 15 are again rotated back into the initial position, and the ropes 62, which are wound up on the rope-drums 20 and 23 and pass over guide-pulleys 5'? of the platform 2 and are secured to the yoke-bracket 6, are woundup,

and thus their free length is reduced. In consequence thereof the machine is raised.

Thus the whole machine is suspended by the pile. Now ifitis desired to change the travelling direction of the machine, the latter is rotated into the desired direction,

whereby the driving member 27, rammed into ground, acts as pivot. The machine is now lowered and placed onto the rail-track, passing in the desired direction. For this object, the yoke-bracket 6 is provided with freely rotatable rollers 60, which rest on the top rim of the guide-tube 28 and rotate thereon when turning the machine into another direction. Preferably the guide-tube 28' is connected so as to be ai'nlly rotatable with the driving cone 21 For this object the collar 31, provided at the bottom end of the guide-tube 28, co-operates with a grooved race 67, which is provided in the driving cone 27 (Fig. 8).

A very slight lift of the :trame is suilicient to place or remove the machine onto or from the said pairs of wheels, employed for the conveyance of the machine. The following ring 2' and thereafter the piston ot the pressure-cylinder L2 is again driven upward.

Thereby the claws of the coupling member 19 slide over the claws provided on the driving pulley 15, which they immediately engage again if the piston of the pressure-cylinder 12 is driven down. Thus the machine is stepwise raised in the manner above described, whereby of course the clamping ring 7 has to be loosened.

Thisprocedure is contihued until a sufficient clearance for the insertion of the extension tube remains between the upper end of the. guide-tube numeral 28 and the bridging member 9, connecting the posts The clamping ring 7 is tightened and now the rope-drum 23 is disengaged by removing the pins 24:. The rope of the drum 20 is removed from the yoke-braclet 6 and attached to the rope of the crane 26. The lengthening tube israised by the crane and finally moved inward between the posts 3 of the frame, after the yoke-bracket 6 has been raised up to the bridging member 9 by operating the winch 14-. The lengthening tube is provided with claws, which are adapted to engage the claws oi the guide-tube. By releasing the return motion of the winch 14:, the yokebracket 6 is disposed upon the top rim of the lengthening tube and now the winch 14 is disengaged and the coupling of the ropedrn1n23 is again engaged. The winch-rope disengaged from the crane-rope and the former is again secured to the yoke-bracket 6. Now the frame of the machine can be j Jrocedure 1s toliowed 111 case of raisin or raised further. The frame is lowered by the reversed succession of operations.

The driving cone or pile is sunk in the same manner as described in my specification above mentioned. The driving cone or pile is continuously connected to the winch 14 by means of the yoke-bracket 6; As soon as the 55 by means of a control-string attached to the same;

Before thecommencement of the pulling operation the tubular rod 33 ofthe driving member or pile is filled with ordinary concrete, which is accomplished by means of a concrete blower, secured to the tubular rod, or manually by a hopper attached to the latter. After the filling operation has been carried out, the cock 56 is closed and the compressed air valve65 is opened in the moment in which the lifting operation of the driving member or pile is started. The compressed air forces the concrete out of the tubular rod and into the clear spaces formed between the driving cone and the wall of the ground. In order to reducethe. friction between or adhesion of the concrete to the wall of the tubular rod 33, compressed air can be supplied into the latter .at different places of its height by means of the pressure pipe 66, so that the concrete is forced out of the tubular rod. in sections. The wall of the pithole is safeguarded against collapsing by the concrete, which has been forced out of the tubular rod 33. In order to produce an additional compression of the concrete (in crement method), the latter is rammed by the driving cone 27, which also forces the concrete into the Walls of the pithole in consequence of its conical shape.

"The ramming is carried out quite automatically in that the winch 14 is operated With the pawl in the disengaged position, whereby the heavy driving cone 'or pile together with the ram drops back into the fresh concrete during each no-load operation of the pressure piston (upstroke). The ram may be set into operation occasionally by opening the'a-ir-supply cock for a short time, and thus may be increased the effect of the ramming and pressure operation.

The mode of working as above described is well adapted for laying vertical foundationmcmbers of any kind. 7

However by means of the machine according to the present invention may be produced.

also foundation-members disposed at an incline with respect to vertical plane: For

this object it is necessary onlyto'open the clamping ring 7 at the commencement of the sinking operation and to place the pointed end of the driving cone or pile 27 onto the ground outside the frame of the carriage and to shift the machine until the desired incline is reached. During the sinking. operation the machine, running on its wheels, performs an automatic movement, which depends on the movement of the yoke-bracket in the rails 4. I

Piles at lighter angles may be obtained by raising of the rails on WlllCh the machine travels the one that is subjected to the greater load thus inclining the posts 3 toward the side which is subjected to the smaller load.

The aforementioned safeguardin of the pithole is also automatically accomp ished in that the periodical pump-like up and down movements of the drivingcone of pile are effected with the ratchet of winch 14 disengaged. The weight of the entire pile and the ram falling back after each lift has the effect that the concrete discharged at the bottom end of the tubular rod 33 is compressed and also forced to enter the clear space between the driving cone and the walls of the pithole and to ascend along the said walls. Of course the base of the pithole is thereby gradually raised so that the automatic rising of the driving cone is a sure sign of the proper function of the concrete insertion above described.

I claim 1. A machine for laying vertical or oblique foundations of buildings, structures and the like, comprising in combination a carriage, vertical posts mounted on the latter, a yokebracket adjustably arranged in said posts, a driving member suspended from the yokebracket, and a'ram operable in the driving member.

2. A machine for laying vertical or oblique foundations of buildings, structures and the l1ke, comprislng 1n combination a carriage, an apertured platform on the carriage, vertical posts mounted'near the forward end of the platform and on opposite sides of the aperture therein, a yoke-bracket adjustably arranged in the said posts, a driving member suspended from the yoke-bracket adapted to be pressed through the aperture in the platform, and a ram operable in the driving member.

3. A machine for laying vertical or oblique foundations of buildings, structures and the like, comprising in combination a carriage, vertical posts mounted on the latter, a yokebracket adjustably arranged in the said posts, grapples mounted'on the yoke-bracket, a drivingmember suspended from the yokebracket, a guide-tube for the driving member, an annular member arranged inthe top end of the guide-tube, claw-shaped extenslons secured in'thesaid annular member, and a ram operable in the driving member.

4:. A machine as claimed in claim 3, further provided with a blow-ring, which is secured to the guide-tube underneath the annular member to serve as an anvil for the upward strokes of the ram.

5. A machine for laying foundations of buildings, structures and the like, compr1sing in combination a carriage, vertical posts mounted on the latter, a crane mounted on the posts, a yoke-bracket adj ustably arranged in the said posts, a driving member suspended from the yoke-bracket, a ram operable in the driving member, winches mounted on the carriage, and pressure cylinder located on the carriage, and actuating the winches for the purpose first of raising and lowering the driving member, second raising and lowering the entire machine upon the driven pile and third for operating the crane.

6. A machine for laying foundations of buildings, structures and the like, comprising in combination a carriage, vertical posts mounted on the latter, a yoke-bracket adjustably arrranged in the said posts, a driving member suspended from the yoke-bracket, a ram operable in the driving member, winches mounted on the carriage, a pressure cylinder located on the carriage and operably connected with the winches, guide-pulleys mounted on the latter, and ropes wound up on the winches for the purpose of raising and lowering the entire machine upon the driven pile.

7 A machine as claimed in claim 6, further provided with rollers mounted freely rotatable on the yoke-bracket for the purpose of rotating the entire machine around the driven pile.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 6, further provided with a guide-tube for the driving member, a collar secured to the bottom end of the guide-tube, and a groove-race in the driving member forming a free play connection between the guide tube and the driving member.

9. A machine for laying foundations of buildings, structures and the like, comprising in combination a carriage, vertical posts mounted on the latter, a yoke-bracket adjustably arranged in the said posts, a driving member suspended from the yoke-bracket, a ram operable in the driving member, a control head for the ram, and means mounted in the control head for regulating the automatic commutation so as to reverse the action of the ram when desired.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 9, further provided with a throttle-pin disposed in the head of the ram.

11. A machine for laying foundations for buildings, structures and the like, comprising in combination a carriage, vertical posts mounted on the latter, a yoke-bracket adjustably arranged in the said posts, a driving member suspended from the yoke-bracket, a

ram operable in the driving member, and a tubular rod passing through the driving member and the ram and serving as a centering axis for the pile driving member and as a channel for the insertion of concrete and compressed air out of the said driving member into the clear space of the pithole without changing the position of the said ram and thus filling the pithole with concrete and sealing its walls against collapse.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11, in which the tubular rod is furnished with a compressed air supply conduit along its length, for the purpose of forcing the concrete out of the tubular rod in sections, thus reducing frictional resistance.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 11', in which the tubular rod serving for the insertion of concrete into the driven shaft terminates at the pointed end of the driving member and is of considerably less diameter than the latter thus making possible the ramming of concrete into the ground by means of said driving member notwithstanding the opening at the bottom of said tubular rod, thereby forcing the concrete up between the said driving member and the walls of the pithhole and securing the latter against collapse.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 11, further provided with a clamping ring arranged around the pile and positioned near the bottom end of the posts, for the purpose of securing the driving member in any desired position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

OTTOKAR sTiiRN. 

